The present invention relates to machines and methods for lifting, loading and maintaining a web roll on a cantilevered spindle so that the web roll may rotate about the longitudinal axis of the spindle thereby permitting the web to be unwound from the web roll. The web may be a variety of materials, such as paper, foil, film, laminate, two ply pressure sensitive label stock, etc.
Web rolls are relatively heavy and bulky. Conventional web roll unwind machines have had a relatively fixed spindle, in terms of the spindle's vertical and horizontal position vis-a-vis the rest of the unwind machine. In the past, a common method of loading a web roll onto a cantilevered spindle in such web roll unwind machines has been to bring the web roll to the spindle. After the web roll has been positioned on the floor or other fixed surface adjacent to the unwind machine, the web roll most be lifted vertically until its central core opening is aligned with the distal end of the spindle. The web roll must then be moved, horizontally, toward the spindle so that the spindle may be inserted within the central core opening of the web roll. This lifting and loading tends to be somewhat of a time consuming and difficult task that requires the use of means, often independent of the unwind machine, for lifting and moving the web roll.